Zifu Wang Earns PhD from George Mason, Uses AI to Tackle Humanitarian Crises and Public Safety

This spring, Zifu Wang earned his PhD in Earth System and Geographic Information Science from George Mason University. His research focuses on leveraging large language models (LLMs) to address global humanitarian crises. Driven by a desire to make a tangible impact, Wang aims to apply his work to regions in urgent need of support.

By integrating geospatial data with advanced AI, Wang’s research enables the remote assessment of high-risk situations helping to evaluate the most effective response strategies. Specifically, Wang's research investigates spatiatemproal patterns on the Sudan civil war and illegal organ trading networks.

Wang’s academic journey at George Mason began as an undergraduate. Although the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, he credits the period with helping him discover a deeper sense of purpose through his research.

Now a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University, Wang is expanding his focus to include transportation safety for students. His goal is to eventually integrate this work with his LLM-based research to develop broader, AI-driven solutions for public safety and crisis response.

Reflecting on his time at George Mason, Wang recalls feeling deeply moved by the support and celebration he received from peers after successfully defending his dissertation—a highlight of his academic experience.